Valve lifter



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,951.

S. G. IVICPHETERS.

VALVE LIFTER,

FILED 1AN.26,1922.

z lie Invem'or. Selden G. McPheers by Huwu( m11 Th-ML Awa Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

SELDEN G. MGPHETERS, 0F OLDTOWN, MAINE.

VALVE LIFTER.

Application mea January 26,1922.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SELDEN G. lWIoPHn'rnRs, a citizen of the United States,yand resident of Oldtowln, county of Penobscot, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Valve Lifters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts. v

This invention relates to valve lifters and it has for its object to provide a novel valve.

lifter having two jaws movable toward and from each other and a screw for separating the jaws to lift the valve, which screw operates in a direction at right angles to the relative movement of the jaws.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved valve lifter in which the jaws are swivelled to the head so that they may be turned into different angular relations to the operating screw, thus providing a valve lifter which can be readily manipulated to lift a valve which is more or less inacessible.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally valve lifters all as will be more fully hereinafter setfforth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side viewl of a valve lifter embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing an extension of the operating screw.

Fig. 4 is a front view.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5, Fi 4.

lig/Iy improved valve lifter comprises a head 1 having the two jaws 2 and 3 that are movable toward and from each other, the jaw 3 being adapted to engage some fixed part of the engine and the jaw 2 adapted to engage the valve spring for the purpose of compressing it as usual in valve lifters. These jaws 2 and 3 are shown as made of sheet metal. The jaw 3 has the two separated flanges 4 and the two side plates 5 integral with the flanges. The jaw 2 is provided with the two separated fianges 6 which are adapted to engage the valve spring, said flanges having integral therewith the side Serial No. 531,999.

pieces or cheeks 7. This construction provides the forked construction of jaw which is necessary in a valve lifter. The jaw 3, which I will refer to as the fixed jaw is secured to the head 1 in any suitable way. It is herein shown as provided with a flange 8 extending under the head and secured thereto by means of a suitable bolt or screw 9. The movable jaw 2 is mounted for movement toward and from the jaw 3 and this is herein provided for by securing said jaw to a plunger 10 which is slidably mounted in a recess 11 formed in the head 1. To secure the movable jaw to the plunger said head is provided with the laterally-extending flange 12 at its upper end which overlies the end of the plunger and is secured thereto by a suitable screw 13.

In the construction herein shown the two cheeks 7 and the jaw 2 are bent up or shaped from separate pieces of sheet metal, and each cheek has integral therewith a portion 14 constituting the back of the jaw, said portion 14 resting against the side of the head 1. The flange 12 is formed by bending the ends of these portions 14 into the desired shape.

15 is a spring connecting the jaws which tends normally to draw them toward each other.

' The jaws are opened away from each other for lifting the valve spring by applying pressure to the lower end of the plunger 10, and this is accomplished through an actuating member 16, herein shown in the form of a screw, which operates in-a direction at right angles to the movement of the plunger 10. The screw 16 is shown as provided with a thumb piece or handle 17 by which it may be turned and which screw threads into a screwthreaded bore 18 formed in the head 1. This bore 18 communicates with the recess 11 through a passage 19 have ing a curved portion 2O and situated within this passage 19 are plurality of balls 21 which constitute a flexible power-transmitting means for transmitting the power from the screw 16 to the plunger 10.

The jaws 2 and 3 are preferably swivelled to the head so that they can be turned from the full line position Fig. 2 in either direc tion and into an angular relation to the direction of movement of the screw 16. In Fig. 2 the jaws are shown in a dotted line position at right angles to the screw, and

the construction is such that they may be .to the left, said balls moving around the vcurved portionQOof the Apassage 19 and acting against the lower end of the plunger 10 thereby elevating the latter, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 1.

lOwing to the i-"act that the jaws 2 and 3 are swivelled to the head it is possible to place the head and jaws at any angular relation required to most effectively operate on the valve spring. Sometimes 'the other parts of an engine are so located with referencefto the valve springs that it is dii'licult to use a non-adjustable valve lifter but by swivellingthe jaws to the head, as herein shown, I have provided a valve lifter which can be readily used in any location.

The use. of ascrew oractuat-ing the jaws of a valve lifter yis very advantageous because after the jaw 2 has been movedto compress the spring the screw will hold the jaw in its adjusted position so that the operator has both hands free ii'or. other pur- .on account of the `presence of other vj oarts of the engine and where this conditionexists I may, if desired, employ a handle extension such as shown in F ig. 3. This handle eX- tension comprises ,a tubular member 22 .which is provided lat one end with an exyternall screw thread portion 23 adapted to screw into the bore 18 and provided at its other end with an internally screwthreaded bore 24 adapted to receive the screw 16.

25 indicates a rod or core extending longitudinally of the member 22 and slidably mounted therethrough, one end of said core bearing against the balls 21 and the other being engagedby the, end of the screw 16. With this construction the balls may be operated by the screwthrough the core 25, and the member 22 and vcore 25, therefore, provide an extension which permits the screw 16 to be located at a distance from the head.

26 indicates a bolt or screw extending transversely through Vthe cheeks 7 of the lower jaw and by which they are prevented from spreading from each other.

While I have illustrated herein a selected embodiment of my invention I donot wish to .be limited to the con-structional features shown.

1. In a valve lifter, the combination with a head having a recess, of a fixed jaw carried by the head, a plunger slidably mounted in said recess, a movable jaw connected to the plunger, an operating screw situated at an angle to the plunger, said head having a curved passageway which communicates at one end with said recess, and a plurality of balls in said passageway for communieating motion from the screw to the plunger, said jaws being swivelled yto the'head and plunger so as to permit them to turn labout an axis parallel to their relative movement. j 2. In a valve lifter, the combination with a head having a recess, of a iixed jawcarried by the head, a plunger slidablv mounted in said recess, amovable jaw connected to the plunger, an operatin screw situated at right angles .to the plunger, said head having a curved passageway which communicates at one endwith said recess, a plurality of balls in said passage through which motion isv communicated from the screw tothe plunger for opening the jaws.

In testimonyy whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.. i

SELDEN G. MOPHETERS. 

